Guide markers



Jan. 13, 1959 'w. J. MARTIN ETAL GUIDE MARKERS Filed May 27, 1957 Fig.5.

INVENTORS William J. Martin 8 Elmer J. Kruus United States Patent GUIDE MARKERS William J. Martin, Pittsburgh, and Elmer J. Kraus, Gibsonia, Pa.

This invention relates to guide markers for setting guide pins in printing operations. In letter press printing, it is the practice to place three guide pins on the top sheet of a letter press so that each sheet being printed is held during the impression in exactly the same relative position. Several styles of guide pins are in common use in this operation. One of the more common forms is the spring tongue guide which is held in place by spring pressure and by two points which project from the setting edge into the top sheet. Prior to the present invention, the only way in which these guide pins could be set was by trial and error. The pins were first set by guess, an impression made and the pins reset to center the impression. A second impression was then made and the pins again checked until exact centering of the impression on the printing sheet was achieved. This is a time-consuming and laborious process and causes considerable lost time in press operation.

We have invented a guide marker mechanism which eliminates the need for guessing the approximate position for first setting the guide pins. We provide a rectangular block or housing adapted to be set in the printing chase alongside the slugs of type in the chase and having a recessed portion extend longitudinally thereof. A blade member is rotatable in the recessed portion of the housing from a retracted position within the housing to an exposed position transverse to one side of the housing with a portion of the blade member extending out of the housing to form a straight thin edge. This edge of the member is preferably in exact parallelism with the edge of the type impression and marks the top sheet with an inked line so that the guide pins can be quickly set to position on the top sheet. Means are provided for releasably locking the blade member in both the retracted and the exposed position. blade in extended position are exactly type high.

In the foregoing description, we have generally set out certain advantages, purposes and objects of the present invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric view of the guide marker of our invention with the blade in exposed position;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the axis of the blade member of the guide marker of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the guide marker in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line IVIV of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a plan view of a printing chase showing the guide marker in position.

Referring to the drawings, we have illustrated a rectangular block housing adapted to be set in a printing chase 11 along with the slugs of type 12. A blade member 13 is rotatable on stub shafts 14 and 15 within a pocket or recess 16 in the housing. The stub shafts 14 and 15 extend into openings 17 in the ends of the housing 10. One of the stub shafts 14 is adapted to Preferably the block and 2,868,123 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 protrude through the end of the housing 10 so that the blade may be rotated thereby. The other stub shaft 15 bears against a spring 19 within one of the openings 17 which tends to force the blade in the direction of the stub shaft 14. A notch 20 is provided in the side of the recess 16 of housing 10 to hold the blade in the exposed position. A second notch 21 is provided in the side of recess 16 to hold the blade in the closed position within the housing.

When it is desired to set up a press for printing, the block housing 10 is fixed in the chase alongside the type. (See Figure 5.) The blade 13 is rotated by means of shaft 14 so as to extend out of the housing 10 (see Figures 1, 2 and 4) and is locked within the notch 20. An impression is made on the top sheet. The edge of the blade 13 will print a line on the top sheet of the press. This line is used as an index to set the guide pins. When the guide pins are set, the stub shaft 14 is pushed inwardly and the blade is rotated into the notch 21 which holds the blade 13 within the recess 16 of housing 10. In this position the block 10 and blade 13 are clear of the guide pins on the press and permit operation of the press with the guide marker in position in the chase.

While we have illustrated and described a present preferred embodiment of this invention, it may be understood that it can be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A guide marker for printing presses and the like comprising a housing adapted to be fixed in a printing chase, an elongated recess in said housing, blade means pivoted in said recess adapted to be moved from a recessed position within the recess of said housing to an exposed position transverse to one side of the housing with the edge of the blade member extending above said one side to the plane of the printing surface and releasable locking means retaining the blade member selectively in the recessed and exposed positions.

2. A guide marker for printing presses and the like comprising an elongated housing adapted to be fixed in a printing chase below the level of the printing surface, an elongated recess in said housing, a flat blade in said recess adapted to be moved from a recessed position within the recess of the housing to an exposed position in a plane transverse to one side of the housing with the edge of the blade member extending above said one side to the plane of the printing surface, stub shafts on the end of the blade pivoted in the housing, one of said stub shafts being adapted for rotating the blade from one position to another and releasable locking means retaining the blade members selectively in the recessed and exposed position.

3. A guide marker for printing presses and the like comprising a housing adapted to be fixed in a printing chase, an elongated recess in said housing, blade means pivoted in said recess adapted to be moved from a recessed position within the recess of said housing to an exposed position transverse to one side of the housing with the edge of the blade member extending above said one side to to plane of the printing surface, locking notches in the recess in the housing at each of the recessed and exposed positions of the blade means adapted to receive an end of the blade to retain it selectively in one of said positions and resilient means acting on the blade means urging said blade means into one of the notches.

4. A guide marker as claimed in claim 3 wherein the resilient means is a spring in one end of the housing bearing on the blade means to urge it into one of said notches.

5. A guide marker for printing presses and the like comprising an elongated housing adapted to be fixed in a printing chase below the level of the printing surface,

3 an elongated recess in said housing, a flat blade in said recess adapted to be moved from a recessed position within the recess of the housing to an exposed position in a plane transverse to .one zside of. the housingwith the 'edge'of the blade member extending above said'one side to the plane of'the printing surface, stub shafts on the end of the blade pivoted in .the housing, one of :said stub shafts being adapted for rotating the blade from one-position to another, locking notches in one end of the recess in the, housing at each of the recessed and exposed'positions of the blade adapted to receive an end of the blade to retain it against pivotalmovement' and resilient means acting on the blade continuously urging said blade towardsaid notches.

6. A guide marker as claimed in claim 5 wherein the resilient means is aspring in .the housing bearing against one of said stub shafts urging it and the blade toward said notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

